3. Marcus Draper

This is Kents old best friend. Here is where we discover a little of who Erica is, or who shes trying to be at least, but Kent knows her better.

Marcus

Kent knew he'd be early but he just wanted to get this over with. Not that he wasn't excited to see his best friend, but because he knew his ditzy date would be meeting him soon, and he'd be forced to put on a polite act for everyone, well for Marc's sake at least.

"Hello I have reservations, I believe it's under Draper."

"Right this way Mr. Whitlock," the host led him to an uncomfortably small booth. He shuddered thinking how close up everyone would be, but sat down, remembering that this wouldn't last longer than an hour. Hopefully.

"Hi Kent!", he spotted Tenille waving at him from across the room. Her chin length blonde curly locks bounced as she was led to the booth. She tugged her very short and very tight pink dress over her thighs before she sat. Her excited expression suddenly turned into a practiced beauty pageant expression of worry. "I heard everything about your father. How have you been? Poor baby," she elongated the words as if wanting to hear a reaction of sadness.

Kent ignored her, and opened up the menu concentrating extra hard on what he'd like to order.

"Would you like a hug or a kiss?" Tenille threw her skinny arms apart. "I read in a magazine that hugs and kisses can totally make you smile and-,"

"The only way you are touching me is if you head on under the table," Kent stated.

"Um, okay," Tenille replied insulted, still not used to his brusqueness even though she'd known the guy for years, but looking downwards as if she was actually considering his request.

"Clark Kent! Look at you man!" Marcus appeared out of nowhere, reaching across the table to shake Kent's hand. So much for getting action.

Nothing had changed about Marcus. His spiked blonde hair stood up straighter than ever, adding to his lacking height. Even without the spiked hair no one would have noticed that Marcus was on the short side. Marc had the ability to charm anyone into thinking he was at least six feet tall instead of 5'7. His lean body from surfing always seemed to win over the ladies as well as his nearly white blue eyes, which Kent always thought were kind of creepy. Marc was definitely a people person, and couldn't help but attract attention wherever he went, especially with women, and he was never one to turn down the attention from an attractive girl, taken or not. Kent wondered how well his fianc� was dealing with that, hopefully he had changed over the years.

"Good to see you man," Kent nodded.

"And I'm sorry, I forgot your name. I remember you from a few frat parties back in the day, Tiffany is it?" Marcus squinted trying to remember.

"Tenille," she tilted her head like a dog and flashed him a big white smile, as if she had uttered the most perfect name ever.

Kent felt like assuring Marc that her name really didn't matter but since his fianc� would be showing up soon he held back. Where was the oh so lucky girl anyway? "So who is this chick you want me to meet?" he asked impatiently as Tenille's hand begin climbing up Kent's lap.

"Oh here she comes," Marcus said extending his arm out of the booth to grab a hand with a rock of a ring on it. Wow from the size of the diamond he really must have liked her. "This is Erica," he beamed proudly.

Kent looked up from her hand wide eyed as all hell, when he saw it was the silly waitress from Ruth Chris's steakhouse. Or at least it resembled her somewhat. She looked completely different, with her long auburn hair in playboy style curls, and her eyes painted with charcoal eye shadow. Kent couldn't help check her out in her tight fitting black dress which looked like a black version of Tenille's skimpy dress. Funny enough Erica looked better in it. Yeah it was definitely her, she was just all dolled up. Normally Kent preferred girls that way, but for some reason he liked the way she looked when he saw her as a waitress. Her natural coloring stood out much more than when it was all covered up in black like this. Kent saw her gulp and stand there shocked as well.

"Hi�," Kent mumbled.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Tenille," the airhead repeated robotically.

"Hi Tenille," Erica's trembling hand reached out to shake Tenille's. "Hello Kent," she nodded looking down at the floor. Was that how she was going to play it? Pretend they'd never met before?

"Well sit down," Marcus pulled her into the booth. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"That we do," Kent agreed, growing out of the surprise of seeing Erica, and becoming more and more amused by the minute. Erica still looked like she was in shell shock, with her eyes darting frantically around, even more so then when she spilled wine all over him.

"And what does this intelligent looking young lady do for a living?" Kent questioned. Erica turned purple, but it didn't seem to be out of flattery.

"She's actually a paralegal," Marcus replied.

Kent raised his eyebrows. A paralegal? A paralegal and a waitress? That was just not likely in Kent's mind. He tucked his lips in to keep from laughing.

"I need to go to the bathroom!" Erica announced.

"Don't be long honey," Marcus looked after her as she rushed away. "Isn't she great? Hot little thing too. Her dad owns some enormous business in Australia, practically runs the country. I don't even see why she works."

"Interesting," Kent frowned. He knew that Erica's "going to the bathroom" was a signal for him to come meet her, so she could explain what the hell was going on. He normally wouldn't have cared less, and just appease the b***h in letting Marc think all those things about her, it wasn't his fianc� after all, but out of sheer curiosity he realized he needed to know what was up.

"I just have to make this quick phone call," Kent stood up heading towards the restrooms. "I'll be back in a few."

"Alright," Marc nodded. "Hey I'm sorry about your-"

Before Kent could heard the rest, he blocked it out and continued walking. There she was frantically on a payphone facing the wall, talking to someone, speaking so fast that Kent only understood bits and pieces. "I'm totally screwed! I can't believe I did this!" So the girl really was a liar. Then again who wasn't?

"G'day mate," Kent practically shouted in her ear startling her half to death. He began cracking up at how frenzied she looked. Was she always like that?

"I have to go," Erica said slamming down the phone, and looked back up glaring at Kent.

"Marc tells me your father owns half of Australia or something. Can people technically own countries? Are you like the Queen's daughter or something? How does she feel about you working as a waitress? I mean a paralegal? What is it do you give legal advice in between shifts? I don't remembering you offering that service to me," Kent continued more and more entertained.

"Alright will you just shut up!" Erica hissed.

"You are marrying my best friend," Kent's face immediately grew stern. "I don't like seeing him being lied to. You better give me some answers right now, or I'm letting him know everything."

"Alright, alright. I'll explain everything, just please don't tell him, it makes sense I promise," Erica assured placing her wedding hand on his. Normally Kent would have been disgusted at the sense of anyone touching him, but he liked the way the softness felt on his rough skin.

"What are you some kind of gold digger?" he accused, forcing himself to pull his hand back, only wanting to touch it again.

"No I swear I'm not a gold digger at all! Look, I am a waitress, not a paralegal," she confessed.

"I could have figured that one out," Kent chuckled. "Why are you lying then?"

Erica took a deep breath composing herself before she spoke. "I'm studying to be a lawyer, its expensive as hell alright? And right now the quickest money I can get is from being a waitress. I'm not rich. I'm quite the opposite really, I'm relying on welfare to get by. I live in a tiny studio apartment with no windows."

"Why can't you just tell him that?" Kent asked confused.

"How can you of all people ask that? You who said I don't even have a name, that its just "waitress". That I don't matter to anyone important. How can I tell him who I am when he's�?"

"Rich off his a*s. Like me," Kent finished.

"Yes. If you want to put it that way. I know it still sounds awful, but you know how rich people sometimes don't tell their dates that they are rich? They want them to know who they are so they aren't judged?" Erica asked, her hazel eyes sparkling with something inexplicable, something like hope.

"Well I certainly don't do that, but sure I know of some that do," Kent answered, distracted by the soft glimmer.

"Yes exactly, it's like I don't want Marcus to know I'm poor yet. I want to finish school and become a paralegal. I don't want him to ever know that I'm on welfare, that I'm really struggling. That isn't the woman he wants. So will you please just go with it? I'm sorry for what I said about your father, I didn't know anything, or I never would have said that, I swear."

"Funny, you're the only one. It was all over the damn news."

"I'm so sorry," she apologized again. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I guess I'm-sorry to," he choked out. Apologies weren't his thing. "The whole waitress thing was dumb," Kent found himself saying, wondering why the hell he felt the need to explain himself to the little liar.

"But you are exactly right. At least for the time being, at least until I finish school and become someone, more like you."

"I'm only someone because of who my dad was. I'm no one special really," Kent said beginning to feel tired like he always did when he talked about his father.

"That's not true," Erica replied softly. "You are definitely someone I'd want to be like, minus the rudeness," she chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. So Marcus huh? He really talked you up."
"I'm so lucky to have found him, he's absolutely perfect for me," she beamed, her eyes even prettier when she smiled.

Kent felt a strange twinge in his chest and shifted uncomfortably placing his hands in his pocket.

"How is he perfect? Why do you think he's the right guy for you?" Kent questioned.

"I don't know, hard to explain," her expression grew blank. Kent thought it odd that the dreamy look on her face didn't remain when asked why Marcus was the right one for her. Not that he knew much about relationships, but usually girls in love seemed to talk non-stop about their men. Even if they were hiding in the back of a restaurant.

"Well we better go, they might suspect we're having sex or something," Kent joked. He laughed even more as Erica's eyebrows raised to the top of her forehead, and she quickly turned around speed walking back to the table.

"There you guys are," Marcus greeted scooting over for his fianc�.

"I missed you," Tenille moaned practically licking her lips and rubbing the leather booth seductively.

Kent snatched up her hand, placed it in her lap and took his seat. "Calm the hell down," he whispered in her ear.

"Well your no fun," she pouted.

Ignoring her, Kent looked at the table to see that Marc had taken the liberty to order a bottle of wine, Petrus Pomerol 1998.

"Good Lord man, you didn't have to get that," Kent remarked. The bottle cost nearly fifteen hundred dollars, and while Kent knew that Marcus could afford it, it seemed pretty over the top. Then again that's how Marc was, always wanting the best of the best as he was slowly starting to remember. As his eyes briefly locked with Erica's he could see that was the same with his taste in women as well.

"Nothing but the best for my friends and future family," Marcus smirked at Erica. "Cheers everyone."

"Cheers," they all clinked their glasses in unison.

"Oops! I almost spilled," Tenille put her glass down making sure she hadn't tipped any on her dress.

"Yeah wine definitely stains," Kent commented loudly.
"Right, especially Chateau Margaux," Erica shot back after sipping.

"Kent, man," Marcus sighed after downing his whole drink. Kent knew what was about to come, his lips tightened in anticipation. "I wish I could have been there with you at the funeral, I was out of town you know."

"That's fine really-,"

"I mean he was only in his sixty's right? I guess that's what stress will do to you," Marc shook his head. "Are you alright and everything?"

Kent didn't know how to answer. What did everyone mean when they asked if he was alright? Nobody ever said what they meant, so what did this mean? Was he crazy? Was the business falling apart without the real business man around? He knew he was thinking too much into it, but his mind was blank for an answer. Not caring what anyone thought Kent closed his eyes trying to think up a proper response, just anything to make him shut up.

"I don't know, okay?" Kent exhaled. "I-,"

"This wine is amazing," Erica interrupted smoothly. "What are you all going to order? I have no idea, there are just so many options here."

Kent's eyes flew open at Erica pointing different things out on the menu to Marcus. She peered up sympathetically.

"Thank you," Kent mouthed silently. Sidetracked from the menu by his grateful green eyes she continued to stare into them as Marc rattled off about how good the prime rib was.

"Babe?" he looked up when she hadn't responded.

"Yeah, uh I'll just have whatever your having," she stammered quickly averting her gaze.

"I just want salad," Tenille turned her nose up and closed the menu.
After the food came, and everyone except Erica, had a little more wine, the atmosphere immediately became more relaxed and open. Never good.

"Yeah I've known Kent since fifth grade. We went to the same boarding school together, he was the smartest kid in the damn class, he used to help me cheat," Marcus laughed.

"That's so cute," Tenille giggled as Kent glared at her. He hated being called cute with a passion.

"What was boarding school like?" Erica asked far too obvious with the curiosity.

"Didn't you say you attended a private school when you were younger?" Marcus frowned.

"Oh yes, I did, but it was an all girls school. You know, all girls, in skirts. Plaid skirts, and you know all girls, no boys, like how private school is."

Kent burst out laughing due to the wine. God she was a bad liar, how did Marc buy this bullshit?

Erica shook her head at herself, she looked so foolish in Kent's eyes, but it was kind of nice seeing him smile, he didn't seem like a guy that smiled much lately.

"Well I'd love to see you in a plaid skirt again," Marcus replied without shame. Wouldn't we all, Kent thought to himself on accident. Whoops.

"Tell me more about you two growing up," Erica insisted.

"Well Whitlock here would always stay at my house. He practically lived there. His parents, well his dad was always on business trips. We actually bought him his own bed cause he was around so much," Marcus laughed.

"I wasn't always there," Kent insisted pouring another glass of wine for himself, his smile far gone now.

"Besides the live in maid I don't know where you would have been if we hadn't let you stayed," Marc stated. Erica nudged him, but too drunk to notice he went on. "Remember all those father son days at school and how my mom had to convince my older brother to come with you?"

"Marcus stop," Erica ordered. She looked to Tenille only to see her text messaging on her cell phone. Was she the only one that thought this was rude? She looked to see poor Kent who always seemed smooth and indestructible staring into space in a daze.

"Yeah I remember," he whispered. "What else was there? What else do you remember about him?" he asked light headedly, not at all angry. Erica looked to him in disbelief. Why did he want to torture himself like this?

"That's enough," Erica attempted again, knowing her fianc� wouldn't hide anything after a couple of bottles of wine.

"I remember you always being left alone at home on the holidays, even though you tried to lie and say you were with someone. I want to know, is it really much different now that he's dead? Out of all the years I've known you I think I've seen you and him together maybe once."

Kent nodded taking the words in unaware that it was a question Marcus had asked. In the background he could hear Erica ferociously telling her fianc� that he was out of line, but he knew she was wrong because everything Marc had said was true.

His head swayed along with his body, he felt so tired he could have passed out right there.

"Are you alright?" Erica yelled across the table concerned.

"I can't keep my eyes open anymore. I'm going to go." Kent mumbled managing to stand himself up, then basically sleep walked out of the restaurant. He heard voices asking if he was going to pay for the meal, he wasn't sure if it was Marcus or the host, but he exited not caring. In the background he could hear feet padding behind him quickly across the pavement.

"You can't drive home, your drunk," Erica insisted following him.

"I'm not going to tell your secret waitress. Just go."

"Let me drive you, I have to take the bus to pick up my paycheck anyway," she said ignoring the insult. As much as she was over being called waitress and not by her name, she knew her fianc� had just been a prick and it was the least she could do.

"Fine," Kent agreed too exhausted to argue, and unarmed his car getting in on the passenger side.

That was easy, Erica thought to herself. Most guys would be completely anal about anyone driving their car. Especially this car. She climbed into the drivers seat of his silver and black Porsche Carrera GT which she was aware cost over half a million dollars, and sat in it for a moment, just taking in the beautiful scent of a new car, and hoping that she wasn't dreaming. Or that she was and would never wake up. What she wouldn't give to have a ride like this, as opposed to her oh so luxurious city bus that normally smelled like vomit and pee. She looked to see Kent leaning sorrowfully against the window, and feeling selfish for just sitting there, gushing over the car, she started the engine. She jumped at the smooth sound, and couldn't wait to see what it could do. Thank God she knew how to drive shift.
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Reviews

[Loribeth215]

Hi Evil,

Good job! I like the play back and fourth between Erica and Kent. ALso, the friendship between Marc and Kent is very realisitc. A lot of friendships are like that, unfortunatly, with one person always happy to see the other a little hurt or off balance.

Looking forward to more.. :) !!!!

[ape domenigoni]

THis is really great, kept my interest from the beginning. Thanks for sending it to me to read.